A friend of mine recently sent me an image with a great quote on it about hiking. It said, “Hiking is a bit like life. The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again. And if you allow yourself opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit.”
One of my favorite all-time quotes is by Sir Edmund Hillary, “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” You may know him better as the first man to summit Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world at just over 29,000 feet. It’s telling indeed that for him it’s as much about the journey as it is the destination.
I remember one friend telling a young person once that someone he knew was a good hiker, and the youth said “isn’t that just walking?” I got a good chuckle out of that, because hiking is walking, but it is also challenging yourself to climb mountains and clamber over rock faces, and pick your way across streams, and to sometimes stretch yourself to the limit both mentally and physically. I’ve done several long section hikes of the Appalachian Trail and I know you can have some really high highs and some really low lows while you are hiking long distances.
I asked a friend of mine once who has thru hiked both the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail what the answer was when you have those low points? His answer was that “as far as I can tell, the answer to anything when you’re hiking is food.” It’s true that on long distance hikes food can make a huge difference in your attitude. I always carry along some extra chocolate on a backpacking trip in case either one of my friends or myself needs a little pick-me-up. It’s surprising how something as simple and basic as food can change your attitude and perspective, but it really can make a difference.
I know many people who go by the quote “Hike your own hike.” And I believe that can be a good motto for some people. I do like the idea of not trying to go at any one else’s pace, but finding your own rhythm and enjoying your hike your own way.
But a quote I like better is that “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I almost always hike in a group. Not only is there safety in numbers, but also when there are other people around, they are able to encourage you to continue on and do more than you might think you could do on your own. I’d rather slow myself down slightly or pick up the pace a little to stay together with friends, and enjoy what we see and experience along the way.
I guess that’s a little like how I am in life, I prefer to be around other people than be by myself. Don’t get me wrong, we all need time to ourselves sometimes, but generally speaking I’d rather share my time and experiences with friends and family than spend that time by myself. Especially when I’m hiking. And it’s important to have a variety of friends, those who you hike with when you want to go fast and train for an upcoming trip, and those you walk with when you want to stop and take pictures of wildflowers or flip rocks to look for salamanders and crawdads.
No matter whether you prefer to spend your time outside alone or with a group though, it’s great that we have special places where we can go and find time to reflect and enjoy ourselves. Not only for our physical and mental health, but spending time outside can be a spiritual experience as well. Some people find that they are closer to God in a river valley than a church pew, and I can understand that sentiment sometimes, though I also appreciate fellowship with other people. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy experiencing the outdoors with others, as a community of people who all appreciate nature and what it has to offer. Everyone sees something different and sharing those experiences broadens your own horizons as well as bringing you closer together as friends in the process.